Clare's journey back to the workplace

I found out from a family friend about a new programme starting called the Women Returners. This programme was developed to help mothers with young children return to the workplace. As I had not worked since my daughter and son were born, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to gain some new skills which might help me to secure future employment.

When researching the programme, I found out that a local training company called tigers were delivering the courses in my area. I went onto to tigers website and saw that they delivered lots of different training programmes and had excellent testimonials from a wide variety of people. This gave me the confidence to apply to join the programme. I was very nervous and unsure of myself to begin with but the guy running the course put me at ease straight away. I found attending the course not only helped to build my confidence, I also gave me practical Microsoft Office experience. As part of the course, we were helped with CV writing, Job Applications and Interview Techniques. This was the kind of support I needed to get back into the workplace, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to return to the workplace.

I was told by the tutor that there was a vacancy for an administrator at Tigers and he thought I should apply. I was very anxious when I was invited for any interview. However, at the interview the panel were all very welcoming and helped to put me at ease. They told me about the company and what the main duties of the job role would be. They also assured me that they were aware that I had small children at nursery and school and where more than happy to be flexible with my working hours.

I was extremely happy to find out the same week of the interview that I had been successful and would be given the opportunity to join the team at Tigers. After a probationary period, I was offered a permanent contract, and was delighted. They also offered me the opportunity to gain a Modern Apprenticeship in Business & Administration Level 3. As I hadn’t studied since college over 10 years previously and had a young family, I was really worried about not being able to complete a qualification. However, they assured me that it was a work-based qualification and I would not be expected to do work at home. I meet with my assessor who explained all about the qualification and how my work duties would be part of the evidence needed for each unit. She also explained that she would visit me at work on a regular basis to observe me working and go over each unit and what was involved it gaining the evidence. I found this to be a really rewarding experience and it really helped me to understand my job better. Going through the individual units with my assessor gave me the confidence in my own ability and also gave me excellent new skills, which I could bring to my job.

I am really thankful to Tigers for giving me the opportunity to develop and grow new skills with excellent qualification which will help me to have a future career.

Clare Johnstone

Trainee Co-Ordinator


Third Lullaby Lane Nursery opens at Hogganfield Loch!

We first opened our doors at Lullaby Lane Westerton in October 2013, later Lullaby Lane Milngavie in 2017.

We opened with a simple ethos, to treat each child like they were our own, offering them love, compassion and a home from home.

We wanted our families to feel proud about the choice that they made for the care of their children. We wanted them to part from their children with the confidence and knowledge that they were leaving them in the care of people who were emotionally available and who would take their unique, precious child into their hearts.

We wanted to offer comfort and safety by providing cuddles and close connection.

On the 5th February we opened our doors to our 3rd nursery, Lullaby Lane Hogganfield at Golf It!. We will have the joy of welcoming more children and families who will experience our #AttachmentLedPractice and our emotionally attuned #FamilyCare. It truly is a privilege to be asked to care for someone’s child.

Our new venture is the collective achievement of our Lullaby team, present and past, supported by many of our teams across the Tigers Group. Our Hogganfield team stand on the shoulders of all their colleagues. This has been a true team effort to get to this stage.

We wish to thank Laura Devennie, Donna Adams, Christopher Keane, and Tracey Nimmo, none of this would have happened without their exceptional work and their immense courage. And to our friends and colleagues Jenny Brown, Russell Smith, The R&A, VS+YO, Iain Smith for being visionary thinkers.

We must finish by thanking the person who has been part of this development from the very beginning, and who has been integral to all operations every step of the way, Brian Carmichael. As so accurately said by Jenny recently, “Brian is great, he makes things happen”. Thank you to our dear friend.

Welcome to Lullaby Lane Hogganfield. We cannot wait to see what adventures await our whole community 🎉🙏

Pauline and Ian Scott ❤️


Tigers School Partnerships

At tigers we are delighted to be working with over 20 schools across Glasgow and the West of Scotland delivering various Foundation Apprenticeships; these vocational qualifications are the equivalent to traditional highers in Scottish Schools.

 This academic year we’ve proud to have welcomed 324 new Foundation Apprentices from six different Local Authority areas into our learning environments.

Our three learning academies are active in the schools delivering the following:

Our Business Skills Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills,

 Our Early Years Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeship in Social Services Children and Young People (SSCYP),

Our Construction Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeships in Construction Craft and Civil Engineering.

In recent weeks we have been sharing across our social media platforms some of the wonderful feedback from staff and pupils in our partner schools, we are humbled by their enthusiasm and generosity of commentary. 

I think its good to actually be out and learning something that I want to do when I’m out of school. It’s better, it just feels like you’re just having fun.
Ashton Adamson, Bannerman High 

Sam and Craig have just been amazing with the guys, they build relationships with pupils that struggle maybe to build relationships with the teachers across the school. They just get so much out of them, and the pupils get so much out of the course as well.
Lesley Mulholland, Principal Teacher of Employability, Bannerman High  

 It’s very engaging, I like how the teachers engages with the class. Demonstrations, activities basically, I like that about it. I think that’s better for learning, he’s talking all the time so you’re more likely to take it in. He cracks jokes while he’s at it, so people don’t get bored, and they don’t zone out. People are always in the zone when he’s there because makes it enjoyable.
Adam Cuthbertson, Trinity High

We understand that there is a need within our local context and nationally for a broader curriculum that offers more vocational based courses to meet the needs of all of our young people.
Dr. Ruth McGuire, PT Pastoral Care, Trinity High 

If you’re interested in hearing more from all the schools we are working with and have visited to date you can head to our YouTube channel where each week we feature a new school, sharing positive stories of Vocational Education. 

 

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For the Love of Reading, Early Years and Beyond

By Early Years Assessor, Lynsey Beaton.

Whether you are 6 months old and curious about the world around you or an adult managing the ups and downs of life, a book can offer you comfort, connection, closeness, and a sense of escapism.  As we navigate our way through life the simple joy that books can bring is something that we must hold on to in this fast world full of technology.  Some of my earliest memories are getting tucked into bed and asking for “one more story” before drifting off to sleep.  I know this isn’t always the same for all children, I know I was fortunate to have that connection.

When I was an early years practitioner I cherished story time, observing excited faces as they turned the next page and predicted what was going to happen next, cosied in with blankets and love in our story areas.  It was a time for connection and physical proximity.

The recent expansion of Early Learning and Childcare across Scotland is an opportunity for professional practitioners to use the power of stories and story time to build trusting relationships with their children. We can consider both the physical and emotional environment and co-create cosy, soft and safe places to snuggle up with books. We can support our children to design their own stories and ignite that lifelong love for reading.  When children feel safe, loved, supported, and regulated in their environment we can carefully interact and observe playful interactions, the place where communication and language start to thrive.

As we celebrate Book Week Scotland at Tigers, we are delighted to host the Scottish Book Launch of “My Family, Your Family” written by Laura Henry-Allain MBE, Laura explains her book “aims to share that all children and their families matter and how important it is for every child to see that there are diverse types of family that are different from their own. I have included, as an example, blended families, children who may have had a parent who has died, children who have parents who are the same sex/gender, and children who are adopted or fostered. It was important to use the correct terminology, such as surrogacy, kinship, and donor; these terms are the reality for some children and mirror their families.”

It is so important that children can see themselves within a variety of books, understanding and celebrating their differences, along with a sense of belonging.  We look forward to an engaging afternoon of shared family stories and connection, where the adults in children’s life’s can take back Laura’s books and share them within their settings.

Reading is for adults too. Books can create a sense of belonging and relief as we can see parts of our own lives within the stories that we are reading.  A book can stoke our imagination. You don’t just hold a book in your hands, you hold it in your mind, giving yourself permission to dream, to go on an adventure, to escape your everyday life, to feel connected, and to build empathy and compassion for others.

Reading really is a lifelong joy! Think about taking time to unplug the devices and pick that book up, you never know where it will take you…


Lullaby Lane Nurseries Opens Third Location at Golf It!

We're in partnership with The R&A!

We are thrilled to announce the opening of our third location at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow. This exciting expansion comes in partnership with The R&A, the esteemed governing organisation of golf. The new nursery will open on 5th February 2024 and will provide childcare for children from aged two until primary school age.

With the opening of our third nursery, Lullaby Lane aims to extend its Attachment-Led ethos, prioritising the emotional needs of our children, to meet the growing demand for early learning and childcare facilities in Glasgow.

Pauline Scott, our owner and Managing Director expressed her enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, “We are absolutely delighted to open our third nursery at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow, in collaboration with The R&A. This partnership allows us to provide a high-quality care service to families, while being a part of a thriving, community-driven sports hub. This partnership has been values aligned from the beginning. We share the vision of creating community spaces where children can develop their individual talents and self-belief, in fun, playful, and experiential environments.”

 

Pauline added, “We believe in providing emotionally attuned, uniquely responsive, and loving relationships that support the healthy biological development of our children. We know that children’s learning, exploration, and creativity is optimised when they are in the presence of emotionally regulated and developmentally informed adults. We believe in the adage ‘start with the adults present in the lives of children’ and we will be sharing our ethos and practice with our families by offering them our unique ‘Daring Ventures’ programme in partnership with renowned developmental psychologist, Dr Suzanne Zeedyk. We look forward to welcoming families to visit our nursery throughout December and January, and to officially welcoming our first families in February.”

We are delighted to announce that Christopher Keane, our current Deputy Manager at Lullaby Lane Nursery Milngavie will become the new nursery manager.

Chris commented, “I am honoured to be part of the Lullaby Lane Nurseries team and excited to lead our new nursery at Golf It! We are dedicated to partnering with our families to ensure each child receives the individual care they deserve. Our Attachment-Led Practice aims to support our children’s emotional safety by creating a home from home environment where we put the emotional well-being of the child at the core of all our practice and policies. An example of this is that at Lullaby Lane we offer our families free and unlimited settling in (building a relationship) sessions that are child-led. We also encourage home visits so that the child’s care practitioner can spend time with our children in their own environment. This helps to develop secure and trusting relationships before it is time for families to separate from their children.

As the manager, it is my responsibility to care for the adults who are caring for the children. I believe in prioritising the emotional wellness of our team and providing them with learning opportunities that build their confidence and knowledge in the science of Attachment Theory, early brain development, play and learning.”

Families interested in applying for a place at Lullaby Lane Nurseries can visit the company’s website at www.lullabylanenurseries.com or contact the nursery directly to schedule a visit on hogganfield@lullabylanenursery.co.uk.


324 New Foundation Apprentices join tigers

Our new academic year has started with real purpose across our three thriving learning academies.

We are proud to have welcomed 324 new Foundation Apprentices from 6 different Local Authority areas into our learning environments since the beginning of September 2023.

In the words of our Group Managing Director, Pauline Scott, “At tigers we understand that significant learning and development only happens in the presence of secure, positive relationships.”

“Creating environments, alongside our values aligned partners, that support that understanding, we believe is a key driver in the success of our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery,” said Alex Wright our Business Skills Academy Manager. 

The pupils drawn from 20 schools across the West of Scotland will undertake a range of Foundation Apprenticeships in the following industry sectors ; 

  • Construction  
  • Business Skills 
  • Early Years 

Tigers Foundation Apprenticeships’ offer pupils the opportunity to move out of the traditional classroom and learn through vocational education in tandem with our ethos of relationship led practice.

At tigers we believe that a vocational education is a first class education and in the coming weeks we will be sharing further commentary from our partners and apprentices, who have experienced our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery in the previous academic year, who echo that sentiment.

You can follow that commentary and share your own experiences both here and on our social media channels. 

For the next eight weeks we will share more content from our schools partners, across our socials at 8am each Friday morning, starting next week 27th October when you will hear from Bannerman High School in Glasgow about their tigers experience in 2022/23.

Inspiring Potential since 2001.


Tigers and Partick Thistle team up to promote skills development

Tigers are thrilled to work alongside Partick Thistle and a group of young apprentice footballers as they kick off their, in club, learning by studying for a Digital Marketing Diploma early in their footballing careers.

A diploma which will see the young players learn skills in;

The principles of Social Media and Goal Setting

Imaging and Video Software

Content Marketing and Online Advertising

Blogging and Search Marketing

Data Analysis and Reporting

Business Environments, Regulations, Legalities and Ethics

John Gibson, Chairman of the Tigers Group shared that,” At Tigers we exist to inspire and support people to develop their infinite potential and we see this initiative as being reflective of that purpose. Tigers have a strong, long standing, values aligned, relationship with Partick Thistle Football Club and we applaud the club for embracing the opportunity to offer learning and skills development which will ultimately provide young footballers with choice as they progress on their career journeys.”

Chief Commercial and Operations Office at Partick Thistle, Beth Adamson, commented that, “We are thrilled to have the Tigers Group supporting our modern apprentices throughout their 2-year apprenticeship. The innovative marketing course has already captured the imagination of our 6 apprentices who look forward to each session with course leader Oliver Butler, learning exciting techniques in the world of marketing and media.

Tigers Group have a proven record of providing young people with the tools they require to succeed in the world of work, so it is really exciting for us to be working closely with them for our apprenticeship scheme.”

We asked the young footballers why they were opting to take part in the Digital Marketing qualification.

Jamie said, “I’m doing it so that I’ve got a plan b just in case football doesn’t work and it’s a good opportunity to learn something new. In the future I’d like to create a business, so I think it would help with that and it’s going to give me some of the skills to know how to do it.”

Jai commented, “I’m doing it to find a different way of opening your own business, something different from football. Knowing how to do different social media posts and put them out there.”

Our lead trainer, the inimitable Oliver Butler, commented on the first day of training, “I’m hoping to support the young players learning about the world of digital marketing and give them something to think about when their illustrious playing careers are over. Today we’re covering a bit of social media, best practice, the tools available to you and how to make a real success on social media.”

For further details and to find out how tigers can support your own club or organisation through Modern Apprenticeship training delivery contact office@tigersltd.co.uk

Inspiring Potential since 2001.


Tigers Group takes on Kilt Walk, again

What our team will be walking

As we did last year, our team will once again be taking on the Kiltwalk. We’ll be walking in memory of our friend and colleague, Richard, who passed away suddenly in 2020. Our team will be walking in support of Epilepsy Scotland.

This time we’ll be tackling the Glasgow Kiltwalk on the 30th April. We’re going all out to complete The Mighty Stride of 22.7 miles. We have a 16 strong team made up of members of tigers, Lullaby Lane Nursery and Paradigm Landscapes ready to take on the walk which is expected to take around 8 hours.

Oliver’s head shave

Ahead of the walk, Digital Marketing Trainer/Assessor, Oliver, made the brave decision to shave his head in March. Oliver donated his hair to The Little Princess Trust who provide real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions. The money Oliver raised from this will join the tigers team’s joint fundraising efforts.

“Shaving my hair off came from an innate desire to be daring, and to inspire donations to the great causes of Epilepsy Scotland and The Little Princess Trust. Knowing that the money and hair will go on to help others has made the cold head worthwhile!”

 

Oliver Butler, Digital Marketing Trainer/Assessor

If you would like to support us to support this wonderful organisation, please visit our team’s kiltwalk page, all donations greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thank you for your support!


the close community

We invite you to join the close community

An experience exploring early childhood development & relationships

At tigers we believe the answer to many of the challenges being faced by our children & young people is connection and love.

This belief is what inspired us to create this single day experience which brings together inspirational speakers who will interweave the science of connection with stories and experiences of impact offering you invaluable insight to support your daily interaction with our children and young people.

Our speakers are:

John Carnochan, Co-founder of Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

Kate Silverton, Author, Journalist & Child Therapist

Nikki Black MBE, Nursery Head in Glasgow

Ryan McCaig, Lawyer & Speaker

Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental Psychologist

In the words of Early Years Academy Manager, Yvonne Stanley; “This experience will bring a community of people together from a variety of sectors, exploring the significance of relationships to support children and young people’s wellbeing.
We are seeing the struggles of our children and young people who are presenting with ever increasing levels of anxiety, concern, uncertainty, and stress. We believe the impact of COVID 19 has only served to heighten these feelings

It will provide an opportunity for us all to understand how relationships surrounded by love and connection really can make a difference.”

Inspiring Potential since 2001.


Tigers and BE-ST combine to support young apprentices

In Scottish Apprenticeship Week we are delighted to share news of a fresh collaboration between ourselves at Tigers Group and the team at BE-ST Built Environment – Sustainable Transformation (formerly the Construction Innovation Centre).

Having successfully bid for and been awarded a contract to deliver Foundation Apprenticeships by South Lanarkshire Council our colleagues at Tigers Construction Academy are delighted to share that we will host this training programme at BE-ST premises in Blantyre.

The environment at BE-ST offers our young apprentices – drawn from a number of schools across South Lanarkshire – a safe learning space, surrounded by innovation and we at tigers are pleased that BE-ST were keen to offer access to their resources supporting the young people’s learning.

We are confident that collaborating with values aligned and purpose driven partners will add to the learning experience of the young apprentices participating on this Construction Craft Level 5 programme.

On behalf of BE-ST, deputy CEO Douglas Morrison said, “Foundation apprenticeships are not only a vital investment in the future of our developing workforce, but also a powerful tool for supporting sustainable development. By equipping young people with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the construction industry, we can accelerate our transition to a zero carbon built environment. We are delighted to support Tigers and South Lanarkshire Council to nurture and empower our next generation of construction professionals, for the benefit of our planet, our industry, and our communities.” 

Tigers Group Commercial Director, Gerry Hamill, also commented, “We are excited to see our relationship with a values based, purpose driven partner flourish in this way. We believe young people learn best, grow and thrive, in whatever career they choose, when they’re fully supported in a safe environment. Delivering our Foundation Apprenticeship programme at BE-ST will provide our young learners with exactly that. At tigers we are focussed on supporting young people to develop their infinite potential and vocational education offers that opportunity.”

South Lanarkshire Councils, Scott McDermott also added, “The delivery of the Foundation Apprentices in construction at level 5 is part of our Work based learning ‘Gradu8’ programme targeted at pupils in their senior phase of school. Pupils love these courses as they provide practical based skills and qualifications that offer a route into the construction industry.  We are delighted to be working in partnership with TIGERS training to design and deliver this construction training in a dynamic and flexible way. We are excited see the benefits a sector leading company such as BE-ST can provide to the overall experience for our young people.” 

You can follow the journey of our young apprentices on our social media channels and on our website at learnwithtigers.co.uk in the coming weeks and months. 

For further information or to discuss future potential partnership opportunities with tigers please send an e-mail in the first instance to office@tigersltd.co.uk

Inspiring Potential since 2001.